Life is full of obstacles. Sometimes it feels like there's nothing but walls in our way. Don't you wish you didn't have to go around? Don't you wish you could just go... Through? Well, that's just how the pixely little protagonist of goshki's new retropuzzleplatform game rolls. Use the [arrow] keys to traipse your way through each of the twelve levels, moving from block to block towards the gateway to worlds beyond. Of course, once in a while you'll find yourself unable to platform further. In such instances, it's best to ram your face into a wall. Seriously. Push against a vertical wall and the little reality-bender will pass right on...through, causing the level to reshuffle in the process. Empty spaces become platforms and platforms become empty spaces. It's all mindbending goodness in Through.

Through is short and sweet. It was created for #GBJam4, a game jam designed around the functionality of the GameBoy, which means it's as much a proof of concept as a full title. The "to be continued..." that displays at the end of the game promises good things to come, so we're willing to forgive a little brevity in this case. And anyway, the game play is a right good brain teaser, forcing you to think in dimensions you didn't even know you had as your push your cute little protagonist over gaps and through walls. Launch pads and spikes make appearances in the game, though the latter is only in the last level. It's a strong indicator of goods things to come. But for now, Through is a game that knows what it wants to accomplish and gets there. Puzzle it out, folks. The barriers are all in your mind.

Agreed. A nice little game, a true casual one. The levels are nowhere near hard enough to have to seriously plan ahead - just hopping around the level will usually get you to the portal in a minute or two. So, it's a perfect game when you're tired enough not to want to think hard, just play a little.

What an innovative little game, as it is rather reminiscent of "Shift." At the very base of the game's structure you have a warp maze puzzle, but it was elevated to a quaint little platformer where you had to think ahead and find all the "right angles" to complete the maze. Now if the developer plans on continuing this project, they face a very fine line to walk down.

-Does this turn into an action game?
-Does this stay the course of a puzzle game?
-Or does it meet halfway in the middle?

I think the developer would do best to add more elements of mind bending puzzle into fold over more action. If they start to lean more towards the middle then they run the risk of the game's mechanic being muddled and mediocre. Don't get me wrong though, there are a great number of superb action puzzlers out there, but they require a certain refined precision of knowing how much to add and what not to.

The idea of making games is somewhat akin to preparing food.
- When working with story, you're cooking: add a variety or as many flavors as you want.
-But when working with Mechanics, you're baking: every small measurement you make will impact the final product.

Should the developer choose both paths, then both mechanics needs to be married to each other in such a fashion where they compliment one another and not feel tacked on.

Wow, your comment nails exactly all the concerns I currently have regarding the future of Through. I'm aware that most of the challenges in the GBJam version are rather arcade in nature and the puzzle component is quite linear and trial-and-error prone. But for the future version I'm leaning towards more puzzle-like challenges which obviously will be much harder design and present to the player in a comprehensible way.

As someone who does not like platformers, but really likes puzzles, for me the cutoff is how much do timing and reflexes really matter? If I fall off the edge of something or misjudge a jump, but respawn right where I left, no big deal. Basically, is a lack of platformer skills going to make this level impossible or super tedious?

If there is just one bit where I need to make a tightly timed movement, okay. If I need to make a lot of fast precisely-timed movements in quick succession, it is too much of a platformer. If there is occasionally some hazard moving back and forth or on a clear repeated path, okay. If there is randomly-moving hazards flying at me unpredictably, it is too much of a platformer.

Puzzlers are generally very binary. Either a given action is allowable in the solution and it is relatively straightforward to execute (once you know what it is), or it is not allowable in the solution and it is impossible, deadly hazardous, or otherwise blocked.

Platformers are fuzzy. Some actions can be super hard to execute, but still allowable, and generally well-rewarded. Some hazards you can find a clever route to avoid, some you can't.

Thanks for posting this useful information. This was just what I was on looking for. I'll come back to this blog for sure! I bookmarked this blog a while ago because of the useful content and I am never being disappointed.

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